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Written by

Amanda Antinore

For the Mashawi specialty entrée, chicken and beef are plated under a grilled garlic pita, with sautéed mushrooms, asparagus and tomatoes. The standout here is the marinated and grilled chicken thighs —tender and seasoned by olive oil, garlic and secret spices. Overdone beef was underwhelming, while diced asparagus is an appreciated divergence from the other vegetables repeatedly encountered throughout the meal. / AMANDA ANTINORE

Toasted pita sandwiches, or 'pitzas,' include the Phoenician. Tahini yogurt dressing, falafel, banana pepper rings, fresh diced tomatoes and parsley were dispersed over the pita crust. The star here should be the falafel. But a beautifully crisp exterior is overshadowed by a dry interior. / AMANDA ANTINORE

Tables inside and outside owner Ziad Naoum’s establishment on Park Avenue are hard to come by most days and nights. Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, there is a seamless blend between unique Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine and a comfortable, casual setting.

We were shown a table outside immediately upon arriving, but waited to be seated while a high chair was brought. No reservations are required but they are accepted for parties of six or more.

Minimal beer and wine are is available, but I opted for half of the delightful fresh-squeezed lemonade with half freshly brewed unsweetened iced tea. Refreshing and bright, it didn’t distract from our meal’s bold flavors.

The classic Mediterranean menu has an eclectic mix of dishes. We decided to start with cacik (pronounced kah-seek), a cold yogurt and cucumber seasonal soup that originated in Turkey. Creamy and refreshing, the tart yogurt and cool cucumber cubes stood out from a background of mint and garlic. Soft pita triangles were used for dipping. This would also be a wonderful garnish, similar to a tzatziki.

It wouldn't feel right coming here without trying the hummus. Creamy blended chickpeas seasoned with tahini (sesame seed purée) and olive oil were blended until smooth. The flavors of this large plate were as straightforward and satisfying and as I could expect from this traditional spread.

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A recent addition to Sinbad’s menu is a Lebanese dish, arnabeet. Flash-fried cauliflower florets were served along with tahini dressing, fresh tomato, parsley and cucumber garnishes. The cauliflower was cooked just enough to perpetuate the perfect amount of sweetness and the characteristic flavors of the vegetable. It was barely oily, a welcome trait in something billed as fried.

The shmandar salad, another newly added item on their menu, was my choice as an accompaniment to an entrée we selected from the specialty section. Baby spinach was topped with vivid red beets, candied walnuts, and feta cheese. Dressed with Dijon vinaigrette, the roasted, then sliced beets were tender and earthy.

The first course was almost complete. We finished it with a warm mingling of artichoke hearts, button mushrooms, roasted red peppers, green olives and oregano vinaigrette, branded as the Artichoke salad. It was a briny array of some of my favorite ingredients.

Undoubtedly the staple here is pita bread. It’s fine when offered as a tool for dipping into the cacik soup or hummus appetizer. But it’s brought to a new level when warmed from the oven. You can experience it that way with their toasted pita sandwiches or cleverly named “pitzas.” We opted for the latter and decided upon the Phoenician variety. Tahini yogurt dressing, falafel, banana pepper rings, fresh diced tomatoes, and parsley are dispersed over the pita crust. The star here should have been the falafel, composed of chickpeas and fava beans finely ground and molded into rounds, then deep-fried. But a beautifully crisp exterior was overshadowed by a dry interior.

For the Mashawi specialty entrée, chicken and beef were plated under a grilled garlic pita, with sautéed mushrooms, asparagus and tomatoes. The standout here was the marinated and grilled chicken thighs —tender and seasoned by olive oil, garlic and secret spices. Overdone beef was underwhelming, while diced asparagus was an appreciated divergence from the other vegetables repeatedly encountered throughout the meal.

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There may not be a cascade of whitewash buildings that enhance the jewel blue Mediterranean Sea as a backdrop, but Sinbad’s cuisine is out of the ordinary in the best of ways and happens to be right here in town.